AALL E-newsletter - November 2008

November is a month of anticipation, as we look forward to the coming winter holidays and express our thankfulness (especially in the current economic climate!). This November e-newsletter is full of news from the recent AALL Executive Board meeting and highlights Webinars and publications that can assist AALL members with their day-to-day work. Please consider volunteering for an AALL committee...and don't forget to vote. Happy Thanksgiving!

Record numbers of Americans participated in a historic presidential election this month. AALL members still have the chance to cast ballots in an important election; you can vote for the next AALL vice president and Executive Board members. AALL needs people to be on its Executive Board who represent the interests of all our members, so I strongly encourage you to vote.

Online voting is fast and easy, and polls are open until 11:59 p.m. Central Time, Monday, December 1. To view the ballot, log in with the same e-mail and password you currently use for the AALLNET Members Only Section. If you forgot your password, please click here to retrieve it.

If you already participated in this year's online election, thank you for your participation. If you haven't yet voted, please do so—just a few minutes of your time makes a difference in your Association.

AALL Creates New Vendor Relations Representative Position

At its October meeting, the AALL Executive Board approved a recommendation to create an AALL vendor relations representative position. The recommendation was made by Professor Penny A. Hazelton, professor of law and associate dean for library and computing services at the University of Washington Gallagher Law Library, who was selected to serve as a consultant to the Association to evaluate the desirability and feasibility of creating such a position.

The individual selected to serve as the representative will be responsible for fostering knowledge and information sharing between the law library community and legal information vendors. The representative will also work to develop programs or initiatives for sharing expertise and creating a dialogue about library-vendor issues, and to communicate about legal information policy issues from the law librarian perspective. A position description and application procedures are currently being developed and will be posted to the membership soon.

Changes for AALL Headquarters and Washington Affairs Office

At its fall meeting last month, the AALL Executive Board approved the creation of a Membership Marketing and Communications Department at AALL Headquarters. This new department will allow AALL to create a comprehensive marketing and communications plan; integrate the Association's communications, including print publications, AALLNET, and electronic communications; and conduct research and data collection of members' interests and needs. Ultimately this department will improve member communications and services.

The department will be directed by Julia O'Donnell, AALL's previous director of publications and now director of membership marketing and communications. Also part of the team will be Hannah Phelps, AALL membership services coordinator, and a marketing and communications manager, who Headquarters is in the process of hiring. We hope to have the new department assembled by the end of December.

Also at the fall meeting, the Executive Board approved a name change for the AALL Washington Affairs Office; it is now the AALL Government Relations Office. The name change is a result of member research, which indicated that the new name will more accurately reflect the broad scope of the office, which includes advocacy efforts at national, state, and local levels. The name change will require a transition process as we work to update AALLNET and related material. This process will take place over the next several months.

Last, but certainly not least, Mary Alice Baish was named director of the Government Relations Office. Mary Alice will serve as the chief staff person for AALL's advocacy efforts, promoting AALL's information policy agenda.

December Webinar: Budgeting During Hard Economic Times

There is one thing many Americans can agree upon these days: our country is facing some tough economic times. Law Firm Library Budgeting During Hard Economic Times, to be held December 11 from 12-1 p.m. (EST), will teach you about the general budgeting process and give you advice on writing a successful budget proposal. It will also discuss tips and tricks to employ when there is an immediate need to trim costs, such as an economic downturn. Finally, you will learn to balance user expectation, management expectation, and librarian expectation. Register online before December 8.

From dealing with difficult people, to developing a strategic plan for the library, to building partnerships, new law library managers have a lot on their plates. The AALL Management Institute, to be held March 19-21, 2009, in Tampa, Florida, will provide new and aspiring managers with the opportunity to collaborate with your colleagues from all types of law libraries and develop the skills you need to manage with confidence today.

Learn how to:

Build and nurture a professional network

Develop effective communication

Negotiate and handle difficult situations

Develop a strategic plan

Take on project management

Champion the library's role within the institution and build partnerships.

Last week AALL members received an invitation to take a survey of their opinions of the future of AALLNET. Thank you to everyone who already completed or started the survey.

The goal of the survey is to get members' candid opinions about the Association's Web site so the AALLNET Strategic Planning Special Committee can create a new site that best serves our members' needs. It should take you no more than 10 minutes to complete, and your responses will be kept confidential. Please complete the survey by December 3.

If you did not receive an e-mail with the survey link, please contact Kim Rundle (312/205-8028). Your participation will go a long way in helping to create a Web site that works for you.

AALL Discussion List Software Upgrade

AALL Headquarters will upgrade our discussion list software this weekend and all AALL discussion lists will be down starting at 12 p.m. Central Time on Saturday, November 22. AALLNET and the AALL Online Election will not be affected by this downtime. Normal operations for the discussion lists will resume at 9 a.m. Central Time on Monday, November 24. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact AALL Web Administrator Chris Siwa at 312/205-8030.

AALL Members Star in New FDLP Video

The Federal Depository Library Program recently released its video, Easy As FDL: Free Information, Dedicated Service, and Limitless Possibilities, to demonstrate what makes federal depository libraries so unique and essential to the American public. The video stars AALL members from the University of Maryland at Baltimore Thurgood Marshall Law Library, Bill Sleeman, information services librarian, and Jeffrey Elliott, circulation/reference librarian, as well as Mary Alice Baish, director of the AALL Government Relations Office.

The video is available for you to distribute as you choose. Post it to your library's Web site, various social media sites, social networking sites, or in your presentations. You may also ask local government offices and educational institutions to place it on their Web sites.

With the beginning of a new administration and a new Congress quickly approaching, now's the time to join AALL's advocacy team. By attending this advocacy training, you'll have the chance to network with colleagues, learn how to advocate for law libraries, and improve your communications skills. We are especially pleased to announce that advocacy guru Stephanie Vance will lead a morning session on the tips and tricks of effective advocacy. In the afternoon, you'll have the opportunity to exercise your new advocacy skills by participating in meetings on Capitol Hill with your own congressional delegation.

Whether you're new to advocacy or a seasoned veteran, the AALL Day on the Hill is the perfect opportunity to learn how to support AALL's policy agenda and make your voice heard. Please register today by contacting AALL Advocacy Communications Assistant Emily Feldman.

2009 Annual Meeting Schedule Online November 24

All AALL Annual Meeting and Conference meeting, program, and function listings that were submitted to AALL Headquarters will be available for viewing on AALLNET beginning November 24. Please take this opportunity to ensure that your event is listed, and review the schedule for any potential conflicts for your attendees. If your event has an Executive Board member or AALL staff liaison, be sure to coordinate with their schedules as well.

To ensure listing in the Annual Meeting Preliminary Program, send any schedule changes no later than December 1 to Pam Reisinger, director of meetings.

The program presented a panel of representatives from AALL, ELIAC, and two agencies of New York State government. Panelists discussed the Authentication Report and possible approaches, strategies, and challenges to authenticating and otherwise validating, in accordance with accepted standards, New York State primary source legal information published on the Web. Criminal Law Library Blog provides more detailed information.

Read more AALL News from caucuses, chapters, committees, members, and special interest sections on AALLNET.

Book Reviews Posted on AALL Spectrum Blog

AALL Spectrum is expanding its book reviews to the new AALL Spectrum Blog. Posting reviews to the blog allows us to publish more reviews and publish them faster. Current and upcoming reviewed titles include:

Of course, more book reviews require more reviewers. Contact Mark Estes if you'd like to be a book reviewer for the AALL Spectrum Blog.

Law Library Journal Issues Volume 100, Number 4

The Fall 2008 issue of Law Library Journal (LLJ) was recently published and mailed to all AALL members and LLJ subscribers; it is also available on AALLNET. This issue's Centennial Feature includes recommended reading lists of LLJ articles from eight AALL special interest sections. Other article topics include the Presidential Signing Statements controversy and its implications for library professionals; the library of James Harlan of Kentucky, father of John Marshall Harlan; and a selected bibliography and resource guide on global climate change.

I recently had the pleasure of serving on the committee for the Friends of the Law Library of Congress' 2008 Wickersham Award. I attended the dinner, which was held in Washington, D.C., on October 30. The Wickersham Award, first given in 1996, recognizes an individual who exemplifies "exceptional public service and dedication to the legal profession." This year's honoree was Retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who very graciously accepted the award, noting that she was probably the only Wickersham recipient who was also in the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame. AALL Executive Director Kate Hagan and Director of the AALL Government Relations Office Mary Alice Baish also attended, and it was great to see so many AALL members on hand for this very special evening.

Photo from left to right: Sandra Day O'Connor, retired Supreme Court associate justice, and John Terzano, Chair of the 2008 Wickersham Award Dinner.

Law Library for San Bernardino County Wins 2008 Federal Depository Library of the Year Award

Last month, the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) named California's Law Library for San Bernardino County as the 2008 Federal Depository Library of the Year. Public Printer Robert C. Tapella presented the award to the Honorable Keith D. Davis, president of the library's board of trustees, during the Fall Depository Library Council Meeting in Arlington, Virginia. Joining Judge Davis in accepting the award was Law Library Director Lawrence Meyer. On November 12, Tapella visited the Law Library for San Bernardino County to recognize the staff for its dedication to providing public access and for its commitment to the depository library program. Congratulations to the Law Library for San Bernardino County for receiving this prestigious honor!

Photo from left to right: Victoria Trotta, former AALL president, associate dean for information technology at the Arizona State University Law Library, and member of the Federal Depository Council; Lawrence R. Meyer, director of the San Bernardino County Law Library (SBCLL); Robert Tapella, U.S. public printer; and George Carter, SBCLL reference librarian.

Last Chance to Volunteer for an AALL Committee

AALL is accepting applications for 2009-2010 committee volunteers through December 1. Through working on committees you not only help to strengthen the profession, you also meet other colleagues who are in various stages of their careers and willing to share their experiences. Your work as a committee member helps you gain and practice useful skills that you might not find in your everyday work. Visit AALLNET to explore the variety of committees available, as well as to get an idea of the work of each group before you fill out the volunteer form.

Please submit your application by December 1. Your efforts will ensure the vitality and future of AALL. Don't hesitate—volunteer today.

Giving Thanks and Giving to AALL

As we celebrate Thanksgiving next week, it's a good time to reflect on things in our professional lives for which we're grateful. Thanks to the support of a scholarship or grant from AALL, many of us have been able to attend an AALL Annual Meeting, go to library or law school, or participate in a workshop. And even if we ourselves haven't been recipients of these monetary awards, we have all benefited from the wide participation that this funding brings to our profession.

If you haven't already done so, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to one of AALL's funds. On AALLNET you'll find a list of giving options along with instructions for making your contribution electronically or by mail. The Association is grateful for the generosity of our members and the resulting benefits to our profession.